Decorticating and defiberating machine



June 26, 1934. HAYNES 1,964,633

DECORTICATING AND DEFIBERATING MACHINE Filed April 15, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l S INVENTOR Joseph Edwarfil Hagnes BY M/n/v o- ORNEYS WITNESSES S v June 26 1934, J HAYNES 1,964,633

DECORTICATING AND DEFIBERATING MACHINE Filed April 15,1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Joseph Edward Hcu nes BY MW r o.

ATTORNEYS Patented June 26, 1934 UNITED STATES DECORTICATING AND DEFIBERATING MACHINE Joseph Edward Haynes, Medellin, Colombia Application April 15, 1932, Serial No. 605,513

In Colombia July 14, 1931 15 Claims.-

This invention relates to an improved decorti eating and defiberating machine and has for an object to provide an improved construction wherein leaves or stalks may be treated efiiciently and rapidly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a decorticating and defiberating machine which removes the outer skin and pulpy material from a fiber bearing leaf or stalk, washes the fiber and then combs the fiber ready for drying.

Another object, more specifically, is-to provide a decorticating and defibrating machine wherein water, steam and air may be used as power elements, the water being used either alone or with either the steam or air for washing and cleaning purposes.

In the accompanying drawings,-

Figure 1 is a side vview, certain parts broken away, disclosing a decorticating and defiberating machine embodying the invention. 1

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Figure 1 on line 2--2, the same illustrating a feeding apron and associated parts.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail fragmentary 5 sectional view through Figure 2 on line 3-3.

Figure 4 is a sectional view through Figure 1 on line 4-4.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail fragmentary vertical sectional view through that part of the machine where the principle operation takes place including the scraping and cleaning wheels and associated members.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a plurality of blades used on the scraping and cleaning wheels illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, and is intended to particularly show the staggering of the notches on the successive blades.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a modified form of blade to that shown in Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a transverse section partly in elevation through the upper power supply pipe as it would appear when steam or air is used as a power element.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a casing which encloses the operating parts of the device, the same fitting over one end of the chute 2, which chute merges into a second chute 3. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, there are provided with what may be termed upper and lower scraping and cleaning wheels 4 and 5. These wheels are of identical construction but operate in opposite directions at the same time. These wheels are supported by suitable bearing shafts 6 and 7 which are enclosed in suitable bearing boxes carried by the respective beams8. The bearing boxes 9 are stationary but the bearing boxes 10 are adjustable, the same being locked in any desired position by the respective set screws 11 and 12. From this it will be seen that the wheel 4 is not adjustable, but the wheel 5 is-adjustable toward and from wheel 4, and, consequently, toward and from the guide and backing plate 22.

The fiber bearing leaves or stalks to be treated are held by the hand or held in a suitable clamp and are positioned with one end in the feeding apron 14. Asv the leaves or stalks are forced down-' wardly over this apron, they are first engaged by the wheel 4 and later on by thewheel 5. They are allowed to pass as farthrough the machine as possible while the clamp or the ends of the leaves or stalks are still held by the hand of the operator, who naturally reaches over into the apron 14 as far as possible so that the fibers for the full length of the leaves or stalks may be properly treated. As illustrated in Figure 5, the leaf or stal has a coating or skin 15 on the outside surface and fibers 16 and pulp 17 inside the coating or skin. As the leaf or stalk passes over the edge 20 of the backing-up plate 18, it is struck by the edge of a scraping blade 19. The rapid and repeated blows of successive scraping blades 19 break up and remove the adjacent skin 15 and interior pulp 17. Though the edge 20 of the backing-up plate 18 is comparatively sharp, it does not scrape 011 any of the skin 15 on the side of the leaf or stalk adjacent to it, but this skin is removed by the scraping blades 19' as the fiber, with this skin still adhering to it, passes over edge 21 of the guide and backing-up plate 22.

From Figure 5, it is seen that the guide and backing-up plate 22 is beveled so as to present an edge 23 to the jets of water from the nozzles 24 after this water has passed beyond the point -95 of contact with blades 19 on wheel 4. The'edge 23 is so located that it splits the discharge water into two streams, one on each side of the guide and backing-up plate 22. The water which passes down the right hand side of the plate 22 carries with it the major portion of the skin and pulp which was scraped off by scrapers 19 on wheel 4, and though most of this mixture of water, skin and pulp is discharged through chute 3, some of it is deflected by tip 28 to run out along the lower surface 29 of chute 2. The water passing down the left hand side of the plate 22 guides the fibers and skin which still adhere to them away from wheel 4 and toward wheel 5, and thus into the cleaning gap between edge 21 of 110 the plate 22 and the edges of scraping blades 19' on wheel 5. The guidance of this water film thus also prevents the fibersfrom passing around with wheel 4, and thus prevents the fibers from becoming entangled with wheel 4. and adjacent parts of the machine. The cleaned fiber after passing through the gap between edge 21 and the edges of scraping blades 19', is caught by the film of water on the surface 29 of chute 2, and thus is guided out through chute 2 and is subjected to the cleaning, scouring, and combing .action of the discharge water from nozzles 25. After the leaf or stalk has been operated on in this manner, it is pulled'yback in a reverse direction by the operator and as it moves back, it is still subjected to the streams of water from nozzles 24 and 25, and

still subjected to the action of the scrapers where by all the skin and pulp not before removed will be removed, and at the same time the remaining fibers will be combed and kept straight so that they will not tangle but will be pulled out of the machine in substantially parallel relation to each other so that they may be laid to one side and dry for future use.

As shown in the drawings, water from any suitable supply is discharged into the respective pipes 26 and 27, this water being under some pressure so that the water projected from nozzles 24 and 25 will have some appreciable pressure or force. Where water is used alone, the same acts as the power element for operating the machine. As the water strikes the various scrapers or blades 19 and 19', the wheels 4 and 5 will be rotated, all the power for such rotation coming from the impact of the water. When steam under pressure or air under pressure are to be used as power mediums, water supply pipe 26 is replaced with a combination of steam or air supply pipe 26" located inside a water supply chamber 26'. The supply nozzles 24' from pipe 26" coincide, center line for center line, with holes in the bottom of water chamber 26', and these holes in the water chamber are sufiiciently larger than the outside diameter of the steam or air supply nozzles to permit the passage of the quantity of water required for the washing and cleaning of the fibers. The water in the water chamber has a relatively low head, and, consequently, low pressure, but the high velocity of the steam or air emitted from the nozzles 24' imparts a correspondingly high velocity to the water, and thus materially increases the effectiveness of the cleaning, scouring and combing action of the water. Supply pipe 27 and nozzles 25 are fundamentally the same as for supplying water only as is shown in Figure 5, but only steam or air is supplied, all the water required in the'machine being supplied from the water chamber 26. Both edges of the blades 19 and 19' may be straight, but for many leaves and stalks, the blades or scrapers are provided with notches 30, as shown in Figure 6. Under some circumstances blades 19" are used wherein a straight edge 31 is provided and a notched edge 32 is also provided. For one kind of leaves or stalks, the notched edge 32 may be used and for another kind, the straight edge 31, the scrapers or blades being capable of being removed or reversed at any time. The blades are made in several sets with the center lines of the notches offset slightly, so that each successive blade may be mounted with the notches staggered with respect to the notches on the preceding blade as is shown in Figure 6. During the operation of the machine, the point 20 wears away more or less, and to take care of this, the plate 18 is swung upwardly the machine.

or adjusted upwardly slightly. It will be understood that the wearing action of the watet on the plate 18 is very slow, and, consequently, an adjustment need be made only occasionally after the first adjustment.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the plate 18 has lateral extending ears 33 which project through suitable openings 34 in the housing 1, so that the adjusting screws 35 may be actuated. These adjusting screws are threaded into a bracket 36 and provided with a reduced portion 37 which loosely fits into an aperture in the ear 33, though the reduced portion is threaded so as to accommodate the nut 38, whereby the parts are locked in their desired positions. Whenever desired the lower wheel 5 may be adjusted toward the edge 21 of the guide and backing plate 22 by loosening the respective set screws 11 and tightening the respective set screws 12.

It will be noted, as above outlined, that water under pressure, steam under pressure in combination with water, or air under pressure in com bination with water may be used. When using steam under pressure or air under pressure for power purposes, water is also used far washing the fiber, and this washing and cleaning action of the water is considerably increased by the scouring action of the friction of the water which has a high pressure and high velocity under the impulse of the power medium, namely, steam or air as the case may be. It will, therefore, be seen that one function of the power element is to supply power for rotating the wheels 4 and 5 for breaking down and extracting the outer skin and the interior pulpy material of the fiber bearing leaf or stalk. Another function of the power element is to assist in extracting the outer skin and pulpy material by means of the scouring action of the power element as it passes through This action also functions to wash and clean the fibers after theouter skin and interior pulpy material have been extracted. A further and also an important function of the wer element is to assist in combing the fibers g d holding the fibers under tension so as to prev nt them from being crossed or becoming t ngled on the inside of the machine. Another essential function of the power element is to direct the fibers through the machine in the proper operating sequence and at the same time prevent them from becoming tangled up with the rotating members or other parts of the machine. When water alone is used, it performs all of the functions of cleaning, and also of the power elements, as above outlined.

After the first batch has been operated on as described, the operator's hand will be somewhere in the apron 14, and in fact, will be as near the wheel 4 as possible without endangering the operator. As soon as the parts have reached the position just described, the operator rather quickly pulls the fibers in a reverse direction and eventually completely out of the machine. After pulling the fibers out of the machine, they are deposited at a suitable place and then a new batch is gradually forced in the machine. It will be noted that the fibers pass through the machine in one direction and then are pulled out of the machine in a reverse direction. The removed skin and pulp, however, pass out through the chute 3, though part passes out through the chute 2, a certain amount of water passing out through each chute at the same time.

I claim:

1. A decorticating and defiberating machine AOL including a pair of spaced wheels, eachwheel having a radiating member, a scraper blade arranged on each radiating member, means for feeding fiber bearing material to be decorticated and defiberated between said wheels, a backingup blade for guiding said material so that one surface will be struck by the scraper blades of one wheel, means for guiding said material so that the other surface of the material will be struck by the scraper blades of the other wheel said means being positioned to deflect the material removed by the first mentioned wheel, and means for directing a power medium including water against the material being treated and also directing material to be decorticated and defiberated between said scrapers, an adjustable backing-up plate for causing said material to be struck on one face by one of said scrapers, a second backing-up plate for causing the opposite face of said material to be struck by the other said scraper, and means for directing water against said scrapers and against the material being treated for washing and cleansing the fiber, said water acting in the double capacity of driving means for the scrapers and as washing means for the fiber.

3. A device of the character described including a casing, a pair of rotating wheels arranged in the casing, each of said wheels having a plurality of scraping blades, an apron for guiding fiber bearing material to be decorticated and defiberated so that the material will pass between said wheels and be engaged by said scraping blades, said apron being restricted at the point nearest the wheels so as to prevent the leaves from becoming tangled with the sides of the machine, independent means associated with each wheel for guiding said material so as to be struck by the blades of the respective wheels, the blades of one wheel striking one face of the material and the blades of the other wheel striking the opposite face, a plurality of sets of water discharging jets positioned to direct water against the blades of the respective wheels for rotating the wheels and at the same time washing, cleaning and combing the fiber.

4. A decorticating and defiberating machine including a feeding apron, a pair of wheels having scrapers thereon, a member associated with each wheel for holding a leaf or stalk in position to be operated upon by the wheel as the leaf or stalk passes through the machine, and means for each wheel for directing a fluid power element against the scrapers of the respective wheels for rotating said wheels, said fluid pow'er element being also directed against the matter being treated for washing and straightening the same.

5. A decorticating and defiberating machine including a pair of wheels rotatable in opposite .directions, each wheel having a plurality of scraping blades of either straight-edge construction or notched-edge construction, a member associated with each wheel for holding one face of a fiber-bearing leaf or stalk adjacent to each respective wheel, means for directing a fluid power element against said blades for rotating the blades, said fluid power element also acting on the leaves or stalks being acted upon by the blades, and means for splitting the fluid power element actuating the first wheel into two streams after said element comes off the first wheel so that one of the streams th divided will guide the partially decorticated l ves or stalks properly from the first wheel to the second wheel.

6. A decorticating and defiberating machine including a pair of spaced rotating wheel's, each wheel having a plurality of radiating members, a scraper blade arranged on each member in such a way that the notches on successive notchededge blades are staggered, means for feeding fiber-bearing leaves or' stalks between said wheels, a backing-up plate for holding one face of the leaves or stalks adjacent to the periphcry of one wheel so that all surfaces of the leaves or stalks facing said wheel will be struck by the scraper blades of said wheel, means for guiding the partially decorticated leaves or stalks from this wheel to the second wheel, a second backing-up plate for holding the undecorticated face of the leaves or stalks adjacent to the second wheel periphery so that said surfaces will be struck by the scraper blades of the second wheel, means for guiding the fibers into a chute where they are thoroughly washed and cleaned, and means for directing a fluid power medium against saidleaves or stalks being treated.

'7. A decorticating and defiberating machine including a pair of rotating scrapers, means for directing leaves or stalks between said scrapers and appropriate backing-up plates, means for adjusting the gap between the periphery of each rotating scraper and its associated backing-up plate, and means for actuating said rotating scrapers by a fluid power element under pressure, said fluid power element also aiding in per forming the various functions of guiding, washing, combing and preventing the cleaned fibers from becoming tangled among themselves or with parts of the machine.

8. A device of the character described including a casing, a pair of rotating wheels arranged in the casing, each of said wheels having a plurality of scraping blades, an apron for guiding fiber-bearing leaves or stalks so that the leaves or stalks will enter the gap between the first wheel and its associated backing-up plate, said apron being restricted at the point nearest the wheels so as to prevent the leaves or stalks from entering the machine at any point except said gap, independent means associated with-each wheel for guiding the leaves or stalks so that said leaves or stalks will be struck by the blades of the respective wheels, a plurality of sets of nozzles for directing a fluid power element against the blades of the respective wheels for rotating said wheels, and an independent means of mixing water with the power element when said element is gaseous instead of liquid, so as to wash and clean the fibers.

9. A decorticating and defiberating machine of the character described, comprising a pair of rotating scraping wheels formed with scraping blades mounted on the outer peripheries of the 4 of the character described adapted to use a fluid power element under high pressure including water, comprising a plurality of scraping wheels formed with scraping blades positioned to re ceive said power element so that said wheels will be rotated by said power element, means for guiding fibrous material to be treated past said wheels, said power element including said water acting on the fibrous material to produce a scouring action by reason of the high velocity thereof,

means for guiding the matter being treated so that one face will be treated first and then the second face, and means for directing said water against the treated fiber so as to clean the fiber and maintain the fiber straight and under tension, whereby the fibers will not become tangled with each other or with adjacent parts of the machine during the treating operation.

11. A decorticating and defiberating machine of the character described, including two backing plates, one being a substantially rectangular plate, and the other being a substantially rectangular plate having one beveled edge and with the opposite edge turned at right angles to the general plane of the plate and forming an opposite contact edge, means for guiding fiber to be treated over the first mentioned backing plate and back of the second mentioned backing plate, a scraping wheel for each of said plates for chipping small pieces of skin and pulp from one face of said fiber, a second scraping wheel acting against said turned edge for chipping small pieces of skin and pulp from the opposite face of said fiber, said second mentioned backing plate acting to guide the chips of skin and pulp from the first mentioned wheel away from the second mentioned wheel, and means for directing a fiow of water against said fiber near the first mentioned plate, and means for directing a flow of water against the fiber beyond the second mentioned plate.

12. A decorticating and defiberating machine of the character described including means for supplying water under pressure, a primary backup plate, a secondary backing-up plate acting also as a guide, said secondary plate having one edge beveled to divide the removed skin and pulp from the fiber along with most of the water so as to direct the same to a given outlet, said secondary backing up plate having an inturned edge, a scraping wheel associated with each of said plates, one of said scraping wheels coacting with said inturned edge, means for directing water against the fiber as it passes the first mentioned backing plate, and means for directing a stream of water against the fiber after it has passed the second mentioned backing up plate, whereby the removed skin and pulp is washed away and the fiber remains clean and in a straight condition.

13. A decorticating and defiberating machine including a pair of scraping wheels having scraping plates on their peripheries, said scraping wheels beingadapted to operate at a high rate of speed, a. primary backing plate coacting with one of said wheels, a second backing plate having an inturned edge coacting with the other of said wheels, said second backing plate having a beveled portion for deflecting water and the matter removed from said fiber adjacent the first mentioned backing plate, means for directing a stream of water at comparatively high velocity against the first mentioned wheel and against the fiber passing over the first mentioned backing plate, and means for directing a stream of water at high velocity against the fiber and the second mentioned wheel after the fiber has passed the second mentioned backing plate.

14. A decorticating and defiberating machine of the character described including a casing, a'

pair of rotating wheels arranged in said casing, each of said wheels having a plurality of scraping blades mounted on the periphery of said wheels and also serving as impulse blades for rotating the wheels, means for directing water under high pressure against said blades to cause the wheels to rotate at a comparatively high rate of speed, an apron for guiding the fiber bearing leaves or stalks, said apron being narrowed near said wheels so as to prevent the leaves or stalks from entering the machine at any other point except at one place, a backing plate having an inturned edge for guiding the partially cleaned leaves or stalks from the first mentioned wheel to a position between the second mentioned wheel and said inturned edge whereby the opposite face of the leaves or stalks is cleaned, means for directing fluid at comparativelyhigh pressure against the fiber after it has passed said inturned edge so as to wash and clean the fibers and prevent them from being tangled with each other or with adjacent parts of the machine.

15. A decorticating and defiberating machine of the character described adapted to use a fluid power element including water at a comparatively high pressure, comprising a plurality of wheels, each wheel having a plurality of crushing and chipping blades so shaped and so positioned as to receive said power element so that said wheels will be rotated by the action of said power element, said power element including water acting on the fibrous material being treated to produce a scouring action by reason of the high velocity thereof as said wheels treat the fibrous material, said blades having notches in their operating edges, said notches being arranged in the respective blades so that the notches in one blade will be offset with respect to the notches in the other blades, said offset being such that the notches will overlap to a certain extent and thereby leave spaces for the clean fiber so that i the clean fiber may move therein and way from the treating edges after having been freed from the remaining part of the material being treated.

JOSEPH EDWARD HAYNES. 

